The Ultimate Personal Branding Guide for Parking Professionals: Part One

This is the first in a series of three articles about personal branding by Kathleen Laney, the President and Founder of Laney Solutions.

Laney Solutions is the first search firm to specialize specifically in parking industry recruitment and works with businesses ranging from startups to enterprises in the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Part One

Technologies that we never thought possible are now part of our everyday lives. These changes have affected the way we do most things, including our jobs.

The rate that technology is advancing has huge implications for workers today. We will need more complex skills to succeed as businesses becomes more specialized.

Technology Makes Parking Careers More Competitive

The parking industry is not exempt from these changes. There is a growing surplus of low-skilled and unskilled workers and shortage of skilled workers.

Achieve Career Success By Positioning Yourself Strategically

In my last ParkingExec article I shared five strategies for parking professionals to stay relevant. The first strategy I discussed was to start building your personal brand.

Your personal brand is an essential tool for long term career success. It is no longer a viable option to be non-technical, passive or a mediocre ‘generalist.’ Today you are competing with global talent who are tech savvy and hungry for opportunity.

With this increased competition, you need to make sure your skills are up-to-date. Make sure you get the hands-on experience you need to grow. Most importantly, communicate a clear message to show employers why they should hire you instead of someone else.

In other words, your career success relies on your ability to establish and maintain a strong personal brand. Communicating your personal brand over time will show your target audience why you can’t be ignored.

You Need A Personal Brand – But What Does That Mean?

Your personal brand is what you stand for – it includes the values, abilities and actions that others associate with you. It’s your reputation, your calling card. The single most important thing you can do to achieve success is to create a strong personal brand that resonates with your target audience.

It will help you be more effective by establishing your reputation and increasing your visibility, efficiency and reach.

Building your brand is no easy task. It requires consistent and ongoing commitment. You must represent your unique value proposition and niche expertise in everything. Your personal brand is shaped by every interaction, every job, every employer, every real world or digital contribution that relates to your professional self.

Learn How To Build Your Own Personal Brand

Now you know you need a personal brand to stay competitive in a technology-driven industry. In Part 2, I will discuss how to define your personal brand and effectively assess your current self. Look for my article in next month’s newsletter.

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